When it comes to design, British is best

When it comes to creativity and a can-do attitude, London designer Lee Broom
finds Britain can't be beat.

Designer Lee Broom: for quality and innovation British is bestPhoto: Lee Broom

By Lee Broom

12:20PM BST 20 Sep 2011

I love living in London and have always been very passionate about Britain, especially its natural fusion of the historical and the contemporary. As a country, we tend to blend these elements well, particularly through our architecture, design and fashion. To me, this natural balance of old meets new is something that very much inspires me and my work.

I believe that the freedom that Britain provides allows people to go out and achieve their goals. I grew up in the theatre as a child actor, went on to study fashion at Central St Martins, and finally worked with Vivienne Westwood before becoming an interior and product designer. London allows you to channel your creativity into other areas with no restraints and this is very liberating.

My studio is in Shoreditch, an incredibly vibrant area of London with huge amounts of energy; it’s not difficult to be inspired simply by walking out of the door. London has a really strong street culture and I think it’s fascinating that this edgy style very quickly defines mainstream trends. It filters through, not just in fashion, but also in design. The 2012 Olympics and regeneration of the Stratford area are a great example of this: I was recently asked to provide lighting installations for the new Westfield shopping centre as they wanted to bring a bit of East London into a commercial environment and I really embraced that notion.

Design's from Lee Broom's Salon range. Photo: Lee Broom

As a British designer, the London Design Festival is an extremely important time of the year for me as it’s a great global platform to showcase your work. Whether you are a young designer or an established design brand, the festival celebrates the diversity of homegrown talent and directs the international spotlight on to the London design scene. There’s always an exciting, creative buzz in the air as it falls at the same time as London Fashion Week, meaning that all eyes are on the city and its creative industries.

Britain has a huge talent bank of craftsmen and a respected history of manufacturing, so it feels only right to produce my collections in the UK. These creative experts often have decades of experience and a very specific knowledge of their field. As designer, to be able to tap into that knowledge is invaluable.

Manufacturing in Britain is also good for accessibility. Unlike producing collections abroad, you can hop on a train and be at the craftsmen’s studio within an hour, face-to-face with the production of the pieces, where you can adapt things directly to create your vision.

When I present my concepts to the manufacturers, I often get a wry smile because it’s something they haven’t done before and they know will present a challenge. Creating something entirely modern from a very specific age-old technique is not just a learning curve for me as a designer but also for them, and it always makes the journey interesting. I particularly found this with my latest collection, Salon (my debut upholstery collection), which has just been launched. When I first told the upholsterers that I wanted to create a curvaceous furniture range with virtually no seams and with up to a thousand hand-finished studs encircling each piece, I was met with that same wry smile, but we did it. This natural approach to push traditional boundaries is very liberating, and very British.

Lee Broom is one of the British product and interiors designers whose work is showcased in this year's London Design Festival. His installation can be viewed at 93 Rivington Street until September 25 (Tue 10am-4pm; Wed-Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 11am-6pm). For more information about Lee and his designs visit his website.